Watership Down: The Tale of the Black Rabbit
by Hunter Stag
Summary: The story of the Black Rabbit of Inle. How he became who he is. A tale of tragedy, happiness, and sadness. Note, the epilogue will shock you. Rated T for some violence to come.
1. Night

The Tale of the Black Rabbit

Chapter One

A black rabbit doe lay in a burrow, crying out from birth pain. She knew that despite the intense pain, there would only be one kitten, a male. She gave one loud shriek, and rested her head on the grass. She breathed deeply, relishing the feeling that came with one's first litter. If one kitten could be called a litter. The kitten, like its mother, was completely black. Its eyes had not opened yet. It breathed, its tiny chest expanding with each new breath. She gingerly curved her neck, and nuzzled it, falling back with the effort. The little rabbit slept on, oblivious to the world that awaited it. As well as its destiny.

The next morning, the doe, who was named Foxfire, lay feeding her kitten. Another doe entered. Her name was Holly, a friend of Foxfire. She watched the suckling kitten for a time with gentle brown eyes. After a moment she looked at Foxfire. "Very healthy. What do you call him?"

Foxfire looked down at her black kitten. "I was thinking about Inlé."

Holly nodded. The word meant night, and the kitten was most likely named for his fur, which was as dark as the night without moon or stars. "A good name. When is his father going to see him?"

Foxfire shook her head. "There is no father."

Holly's eyes widened. "You never mated?"

Foxfire shook her head. "I am capable of raising one kitten by myself."

Holly smiled gently. "If you say so."

She left the two alone, and Inlé fed in peace.

Days passed. Before too long Inlé was able to go above ground to silflay with his mother. He made a friend on his first day, a young buck named Moss. One day happened though, that would change his life.

It started out as a normal day; Inlé was feeding with his mother, Moss and his mother Hyzen near them. Two large male rabbits came up to them, and one dealt Moss a hard cuff. As the young rabbit rolled, the bigger buck sneered. "This is our spot, runt. Clear off."

Hyzen placed herself between Moss and the two bucks. The one that had struck Moss sneered again. "Huh. Protecting your runt, eh? You'd best clear off too, before it ends badly."

"What's going on here?"

The six rabbits turned, Inlé looking up briefly from his feeding to watch the strong, scarred rabbit that had intervened. He looked up at his mother. "Who is that, Mama?"

Foxfire rubbed her nose behind her son's ear. "Captain Tussock. Now watch him, Inlé. You might learn something."

The two bucks attempted to look casual. "Nothing's wrong, Captain. Everything's fine."

Tussock's eyes took in Moss, rising and shaking his head. There was already a bruise forming. The eyes snapped back to the two bucks, who were attempting to sneak away. "Fine, eh? You're both under arrest."

The two stopped and angrily faced the Owsla Captain. "Why?"

"For assaulting a kitten. You will be taken before the Chief Rabbit. Now."

As if from nowhere, burly Owsla rabbits appeared from the grass and surrounded the two. They were led off, protesting volubly.

Inlé nudged Moss gingerly with his nose. "Are you okay?"

Moss nodded. "As much as I can be."

Inlé smiled. Even at this early age, Moss was tough.

That night, Inlé was asleep in the burrow when he woke. There was no inkling of his mother's warmth near him. He crept to the hole, hoping to go out and look for her, when he heard voices.

"You do know that there is a reason I brought you up here, Foxfire?"

"I do, Tussock. You are worried about Inlé and I and how I will be able to take care of him without a mate to teach him the skills he needs."

There was surprise in the captain's voice. "Yes. I've been debating this since you lost your first mate, and I-I, uh…"

Inlé noted that his mother's voice was faintly amused. "Captain, are you asking me to mate with you? It's past the season."

There was a sigh from Tussock. "Maybe. But, I was slightly envious of Hemlock when he won you, and his last wish to me was to mate with you, to take care of you."

"There's another reason, Tussock. You love me, come out with it."

Tussock sighed again. "Yes. Ever since I first saw you, I've been admiring you. You're calm, kind, and caring."

Inlé poked his head up from the burrow's entrance, and saw his mother and Tussock nuzzling each other. He cocked his head for a moment, then went back in and went to sleep. Shortly after, he was joined by double the heat. Foxfire had a mate once more.


	2. Dusk



Chapter Two

Months passed. Inlé grew, as did Moss. Spring came. Both were grazing on their own now, and Inlé looked at Moss as he grazed. The buck had grown, and his color had changed. He had brown spots on his nose, in his tail, and in short columns below his paws. The rest of his fur was tan. Inlé was still black, the green in his eyes deepening over time. A small lock of silver fur had grown between his ears, clashing with it and making him very noticeable. A while ago a wandering doe had been accepted into the warren, and soon after had given birth to another doe. Her name was Primrose and she had been immediately befriended by Moss and Inlé. She was grazing with them now, her dark brown eyes watching them both. Her fawn-colored fur reflected the light, making her seem radiant. Tussock walked by, watching them for a moment. Inlé nodded, and his father nodded back, continuing on his way on his inspection of the Owsla. Inlé returned to grazing for a moment, then sat up and began combing his ears.

Moss stood up. "What's the matter?"

Inlé shook his head. "Nothing. I just…" he looked around. "Felt something."

Primrose looked up. "What did it feel like?"

Inlé shrugged. "I don't know. Just something…foreboding."

The three continued grazing for a short time then went to a favorite spot of theirs. It was a large oak tree, many years old that they stood by to watch the sun set. Inlé sighed, then spoke.

"I've been thinking of leaving."

Moss looked at him. "What?"

"I'm leaving the warren. I feel like I'm supposed to do something, but I don't know what."

Primrose laid her head on his shoulder. "I'll go with you. We both will."

Moss nodded. "Yeah. What kind of friends would we be if we let you go out into the world by yourself?"

Inlé smiled.

Foxfire was not as pleased. "You can't leave!"

"But Mother…"

"No, Inlé. You're still too young. You're not even a year old and you want to turn into a hlessi! You know they always come to bad ends!"

"Who tells you that, Mother? The Chief Rabbit's mate? She can't even silflay without thinking up a rumor!"

"Inlé! I am shocked! Your father wouldn't want you to say this!"

"Which father, Mother? Tussock, or the father that you never told me I had?"

Foxfire swung a cuff at him. Inlé moved aside, and his eyes narrowed. "I'm leaving, Mother. Nothing you say can stop me." And he hopped out of the burrow without a backward glance.

Moss and Primrose met him outside, by their tree. Moss cocked his head. "She didn't want you to go?"

Inlé shook his head. "What about you?"

Moss shrugged. "Dad said go for it, Mother was too wracked to say anything."

Inlé turned to Primrose. "What about you?"

"Mother said that I could go if I want to."

Inlé's ears pricked up. "Someone's coming."

Tussock hopped up onto the hill. "I thought I would find you here."

"What do you want, Father?"

"Your mother wanted me to stop you. I'm going to."

Inlé turned to him. "You can't stop me. I'm not helpless."

"You'll be safe in the warren. The Owsla are already on the way."

"You can't stop us." Inlé repeated.

"I will if I have to."

"I'm not a kitten!" Inlé barked angrily.

"You would think of yourself among your own mother's feelings?"

"You weren't my father originally, Tussock. I'm leaving, and neither you, nor the Owsla, nor even the Chief Rabbit can stop me!"

Tussock sighed. "I see that I cannot change your mind. I can only tell you this, my son. Be careful."

Inlé, breathing heavily, nodded. "I will, Father. Tell mother that I'm sorry."

He tossed his head, and he, Moss, and Primrose ran into the night, leaving their warren far behind them.




	3. Water



Chapter Three

Dawn broke over the forest as Inlé, Moss, and Primrose woke from beneath a tree. Moss looked at Inlé. "Where are we going, anyway?"

Inlé sat up, a light in his eyes. "El-ahrairah's warren. That's where we'll go."

Primrose's eyes widened. "That's a really long way, though."

Inlé shrugged. "So? They say that he's outwitted a lot of elil. His legends are told throughout the land! Think of what it would be like, living in a legend's warren!"

Moss began to silflay, speaking around mouthfuls of grass. "But think of all the dangers, Inlé. The Thousand, men, and the distance. I don't think we'd survive."

Inlé narrowed his eyes. "We have to try, at least. With some luck, we may make it."

Moss nodded. "Let's go then."

They moved off, flitting from bush to bush to avoid the Thousand. This was after Frith had blessed El-ahrairah, turning the elil into vicious predators to hunt and kill the children of El-ahrairah. Inle's green eyes darted from shadow to shadow, his breathing loud in his ears.

A figure watched the three young rabbits go. He narrowed his eyes and gestured to one of his bodyguards. "Go to the two shadow rabbits we picked up earlier. Tell them…I have an assignment."

The bodyguard nodded and took off. Prince Rainbow allowed himself a smirk.

Inlé, Moss, and Primrosekept running, oblivious to the fact that they were being distantly watched. Two black figures flitted from tree to tree, their eyes never leaving the trio. One of the two narrowed his eyes. _They'll pay. They'll all pay for what they did_.

The three rabbits came to a stop in a small river. It only came up to their necks, but they stopped nonetheless. Moss turned angrily to Inlé. "Now what are we going to do?"

Inlé looked around. He was starting to get testy, as the sunlight soaking into his fur was making him hot and irritated. "I'm thinking, alright?" He spotted a small piece of driftwood. He ran over to it. "Here! We can use this!"

Primrose tilted her head. "I don't think that'll hold all of us."

Inlé lifted his nose and sniffed the air. "We don't have a choice. We're being followed."

Moss's eyes widened. "Followed?"



"I don't know how to explain it, but we are. I can feel them."

Moss sighed. "Fine. We'll get on, but one of us will have to carry Primrose if that wood doesn't hold up."

They all climbed on and Inlé and Moss pushed their feet into the sand to propel it outward. The current caught them, and they shot down the river.

Meanwhile, back at the trio's warren, Tussock slammed into the ground with a cry of pain. Prince Rainbow placed his paw on the old rabbit's head and snarled into his ear. "Now, tell me where they are, and I might spare the rest of your warren."

Tussock ground out the words through his teeth. "I don't know where they went. They went into the forest and that's the last I saw of them."

Prince Rainbow removed his paw. "That's not much to go on. But we already have assassins chasing them." He leaned closer to Tussock. "Your son is the adventurous type, is he not?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "He will most likely go to El-ahrairah's warren. Thank you for the information, Captain. I will make good use of it."

Tussock gritted his teeth as he sobbed. His son would soon be dead. And it was his fault. "I shouldn't have let him go. This is my fault."

**Sorry if this is short. I had a case of writer's block for a few months. If you've been paying attention, you'll probably figure out who those two assassins are. And you might recognize the river scene too, if you've read the book.**


End file.
